The Community Foundation provides donors with an easy way to establish personalized, named funds that achieve their philanthropic goals.  Funds can be created by individuals, corporations, financial institutions, charitable organizations, probate courts, and private foundations.  Funds can make grants to qualified nonprofit organizations or they can provide scholarships.  Each fund remains fully invested, even if the minimum contribution level is still being achieved.  Our foundation manages all aspects of a fund – accounting, auditing, reporting, investing, grants administration and evaluation, legal and tax compliance – at a significantly lower cost than if a donor established a private foundation.

How do I create a fund?

• Decide When to Give:  You can create your fund now, establish it through your will, or create it through a trust arrangement that benefits your family as well as your favorite charities.  You may give in honor of an anniversary, to celebrate a special event or to support a cause.  Tax deductions are earned at the time of your gift, and grant awards from your fund will continue in perpetuity.
  
• Decide What to Give:  Almost any kind of asset can be used to start your fund, such as cash, publicly traded securities, closely held stock, interests in limited partnerships, real estate, life insurance, qualified retirement plan assets, tangible personal property and private foundation assets.
  
• Consult with Your Financial or Legal Advisors:  Because your professional advisor is most familiar with your personal and financial circumstances, he or she can provide legal and tax guidance to ensure that you receive the maximum benefits of giving while maintaining your future financial security.  The Foundation maintains positive relationships with many local professional advisors and we are happy to work with them on your behalf.  (Click here for our Directory of Professional Advisors).
  
• Choose your Fund’s Name and Description:  Most of our funds are named for the donor, the donor’s family, or as an honor or memorial to someone special.  Every grant from your fund for generations to come will carry this name.  If you prefer anonymity, you may choose a generic name, or perhaps one that reflects your fund’s charitable purposes.  Your fund description can be up to 75 words long and is carried with the fund in all publications and website lists.  We can even attach a picture.
  
• Choose a Type of Fund:  We offer a variety of funds that are flexible to meet our donors’ philanthropic needs.  The first step is to decide which type of fund best matches your interests.  (Click here for Fund Types and Descriptions).
  
• Sign a Fund Establishing Agreement:  Once we meet with you to discuss your options and giving plans, the forms required to establish a fund are relatively straightforward to complete.  A fund then can be established in our system, ready to receive your initial contributions and be invested.  It also can be posted to our website so that you or other donors may contribute to it securely online.